Q: What do you call someone who hangs out with musicians? A: A drummer. Yes, we know that's not particularly funny but it illustrates the gulf between tub thumpers and the rest of the musical community.

Of course some of the criticism leveled at skinbashers is perfectly justified. Remember, we are talking about people who bash things with sticks. And for every Keith Moon there's always a Luke (Bros) Goss or Meg White to add impetus to the drummers are dummies lobby. Indeed, some drummers are so inept they make the Duracell Bunny look like John Bonham! That's why we thought we'd whack some much needed credibility into the world of crashes, splashes, toms and flamadiddles with Rock Beat Drumsticks.

These ingenious electronic sticks represent a huge advance in the field of pretending to play the drums, as you don't need an accompanying drum kit to start knocking out a few funky beats. That's because Rock Beat Drumsticks feature tiny built-in speakers that blast out a variety of drum sounds every time the rubber tips hit a surface or strike the air with anything more than a tap.

Nifty buttons change the sound from snare drum to tom-tom to crash cymbal, and you can also make a virtual Ringo out of yourself by bashing along to a tune. Better still, bright LEDs within the Rock Beat's durable tips mean you can flail around in the dark. Any more sophisticated and you could join Pink Floyd on stage for an impromptu jam (although you'd probably be bundled off and sectioned in the Rod, Jane and Freddie home for the musically insane before you played your first comedy count-in).



Rock Beat Drumsticks are musical must-haves for anyone who's ever pretended to drum along to their favorite ditty, even if it's only the intro to Friends. So why not make like a real drummer right now by clicking... no... bashing the 'Add to Cart' button and indulging in some hi-tech crash, bang, boom!